Snowed in Trust
by bandanaye
Summary: Trying to figure a way out of his past, Yugi runs into Atemu one night when he wants to be by himself. Will Atemu be able to figure out what is wrong and help the other? YYxY
1. Chapter 1

A/N: So, here's another fic. I've already have this one all planned out, and it's going to be about four chapters. Nothing too long, each chap about this length. Please enjoy!

Warnings: Adult Situations

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!

* * *

The place was almost empty, but Yugi didn't care. It's not like he really wanted to be in a buzzing place at the moment anyway. He was happy for the silence.

Sitting down in one of the stools, the third year college student ordered what he wanted, paid the man and took generous sips.

It had been two years since what happened. Yet he could still not shake it off, even with all of the therapy he was getting. His best friend Jou was supporting in every way, but it wasn't enough to get him out.

So he decided to drown every thing out with a couple of beers every now and then. He wouldn't hammer himself though, well, unless he was feeling unusually down. Thankfully he wasn't tonight.

Taking another gulp of his drink, Yugi's ears suddenly perked when he heard someone sit beside him and start talking to the lonely bartender. He unexpectedly was thrown into the small conversation.

"Hey, kid, you like football?" asked the bartender, and Yugi fidgeted as two pairs of eyes set on him.

Turning ever so slightly, he searched out the bartender in front of him, smiling a bit. "A little, not so much to go nuts over it though," he answered.

The portly man shook his head; obviously he couldn't find anyone with the same interest. He waved his hand and headed into the back to do whatever, leaving Yugi and the man next to him alone.

"You're not a football fan either then," the man said with a wry smile. "I'm Atemu." He held out his hand for Yugi to shake.

Yugi blinked, trying to figure out what just happened. Inwardly shaking his head, he put on a fake smile, and took the hand. "Yugi."

Atemu took his hand firmly, shaking it for five seconds. "Nice to meet you, Yugi," he said, his smile widening. "What are you doing here? The place is nearly empty."

Shrugging, Yugi answered back, "Probably the same reason you're here."

Atemu chuckled unexpectedly, making Yugi jump a little in his seat. "Yeah."

They both stayed silent, and Yugi took the opportunity to take the stranger in. Amazingly, they looked like they could be long lost brothers. Their hair was basically the same except for a couple of the blonde streaks, and Yugi could tell that Atemu was only a couple inches above him.

The man was wearing casual clothes, nothing too special. Just some slacks and a jacket; just like him.

"So..." Atemu began. "What exactly _are_ you doing here anyway?"

Yeah, like he'd open everything up to this guy. "Just having a couple drinks," Yugi answered rather flatly, fingering his glass on the counter.

The other seemed to understand that he didn't want to really say what it was, and Yugi was surprised to see the other express that. "How about you?"

Atemu leaned back against air answering, "Like you said before, same reason you are."

Why the heck was he talking to this guy anyway? Yugi wondered. This guy was some stranger that had nothing to do with his life, and could in no way understand it even if it were explained to him. Yugi wanted to leave. But then again, he didn't.

There was something about this guy that made him feel a little better. He couldn't place it; was it the way he talked? Body language? Maybe it was all in his head. All he knew was that somewhere deep inside, Yugi immediately felt that he could trust the other with his life.

"Do you want another drink?" Atemu interrupted his thoughts again, startling him a little.

Shaking his head, Yugi said, "I lied. I only came out for one drink tonight."

Nodding at the confession, Atemu let his elbow rest on the counter beside him. Although they hadn't talked much about anything, he could feel that Yugi would be interesting to talk to overall.

Two hours later, and Yugi was laughing all over himself. No, he hadn't lied again, but Atemu was telling the most hilarious jokes. Yugi couldn't help himself as he doubled over in laughter, his gut clenching so hard it was starting to hurt.

Hands came around him, and Yugi didn't mind them as they helped him back up, soothingly rubbing against his aching abdomen, trying to loosen the muscles up.

Wiping the tears from his eyes, Yugi thanked the man. Atemu wasn't half as bad as he first suspected. The two had immediately become friends.

So far, Yugi had learned that the other was a graduating college student this year, being only twenty-four years of age; one year older than Yugi. Unfortunately though, they didn't go to the same college.

Unlike him, Atemu had said that he was going out to be a reporter of some sort. He had told Atemu that he was hoping to be a successful artist.

Heaving a sigh, Yugi leaned back against the counter, trying to collect his thoughts back. He had also figured out that Atemu was able to read him very well, understanding everything he had to say. Not that he had said anything yet though.

Suddenly, a hand was on his thigh and Yugi flinched, but not noticeable enough for Atemu. "You know, you're very pretty."

He blushed despite himself, trying not to let Atemu see. He knew that the other wasn't drunk or anything, so that meant Atemu meant every word of that statement. "No, I'm not."

Confusion washed over Atemu at the harsh words. "Yes you are, to me you are," he tried. Man, had he fallen hard over this kid. He let his hand sink down to Yugi's knee, and this time he noticed a shake.

Taking his hand off the other carefully, Atemu tried to see what was wrong. Yugi was fine just two minutes ago; did he say something to upset the other?

"You shouldn't lie to people," Yugi suddenly said, and Atemu stood up astonished at the statement. How could this beauty of all things say that he was not pretty? He wasn't lying.

He knew from the start that Yugi was shaky about something, and Atemu wanted to find out. He wouldn't force it out, but he was willing to wait for anything. Carefully, he cupped the other's face, tilting Yugi's head up so that they met eye to eye.

"You are the most beautiful person I've ever met. How could you say such a thing?" he said gently, looking for some kind of answer in the other's amethyst eyes.

Yugi was quiet for a long time, trying to think of an answer as to why he had said what he said. He stared up into confused crimson eyes. "I don't know...I just..." He let his eyes slip close as he slid off the stool.

Unconsciously, he let himself go up onto tiptoes as he hesitantly pressed his lips against Atemu's. He hadn't felt this way about another in... no, he just trusted Atemu. He hadn't been able to trust in a long time.

Yugi became a little eager once he felt Atemu comply and press back, silently massaging his lips with his tongue, asking for entrance. Yugi let his mouth fall open as the two engaged, fighting over dominance.

Pulling back, Yugi panted. Atemu was the first to speak, although he too was out of breath.

"Do you..." the taller started, "Want to come back...to my place?"

He didn't mean to hesitate, but he had to think it through for a second. If he complied, who knows what would happen, but just from spending two hours with Atemu, Yugi knew he could fully trust the other. He wanted to keep that trust for as long as possible.

"I trust you."

* * *

Yugi rolled over groggily, wondering where he was as he wiped the sleep from his eyes. This definitely wasn't his room. Rolling back over, he was suddenly reminded of where he was exactly when he spotted Atemu.

Sitting up in the bed, Yugi realized he was naked and he quickly searched out for his scattered clothes. Pulling them back on as noiselessly as possible, Yugi tried to think of why he did such a stupid thing.

What the heck did he do? He knew he wasn't drunk, so what happened? Yugi raked his brain as he pulled his shoes on, but he couldn't find a good enough reason as to why he did what he did last night.

Then it came to him. That stupid trust thing! Why did he trust this guy? They only knew each other for two hours tops, and Yugi let himself be led back to this guy's apartment. How low could he get?

Finding everything that he had brought, Yugi glanced back at the bed where Atemu was still peacefully sleeping. Biting his lip, Yugi was painfully reminded that he had fallen for the other, and that was what made him go into that whole trust thing.

"Sorry."

Shaking his head, he headed out of the apartment, and back home.

* * *

A couple hours later, Atemu awoke with a start as his alarm clock noisily rang out. He sighed as he felt the other side of the bed empty.

He didn't get it. He had thought that Yugi trusted him. He even said it before they ended back up here. But then he remembered how he was trying to figure out what was going on before he and Yugi became close.

Getting out of bed, he found some boxers and sweats and he pulled them on. It was too bad that he only got Yugi's first name and nothing else. He wanted to know if he did anything wrong. He wanted to help the other out with whatever caused him to run away.

Shuffling around his bed, he suddenly became aware of a jacket sticking out from under his bed. Pulling it out, he realized that it was Yugi's. He quickly searched for anything that would enable him to return it, and he became excited when he found a small card with Yugi's name on it, address and all.

* * *

A/N: Um...I'm hoping that this is coming out the way I have it written in summary in my notebook. Hopefully it is. Thanks for reading and please review!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thanks for the comments; I'm glad you're all enjoying!

Warnings: Adult Situations

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!

* * *

The smell of pastries and coffee melded together pleasantly as the two college students relaxed with ease. However, that wasn't the case with Yugi as he fiddled with his cup of coffee, glancing out the large window to his right, watching as small snowflakes floated down to Earth.

Jounouchi studied his friend, wondering what had the other so...unnerved lately. The artist in training wasn't himself even more than he usually was, and it was making worry eat at the blonde's emotions.

"Are you sure you want to talk Yug?" he asked quietly, successfully gaining Yugi's attention.

Blinking, Yugi took another sip at his beverage, nodding ever so slightly. "Yeah..." he half sighed. "I just don't know where to start"

Leaning forward a little so that he could lightly rest his elbows on the table, Jou watched as Yugi fidgeted in his seat. "How about you tell me what exactly happened. You said you met a guy?"

Looking at his lap in slight embarrassment, Yugi silently sighed. Why was he acting like this in front of his best friend? The one he himself asked to talk to privately? If he didn't say anything soon, he knew how easily Jou could lose his temper.

"Yes...I met a guy the other night," Yugi started, a little strained like he didn't want to admit it. "When I went to that bar..._Rodger's_."

Nodding, Jou took a sip of his own drink. "Then what's so bad about that? I think that it's good that you finally met someone again." He knew of what happened to Yugi their freshman year and he also knew that his dear friend was having a hard time letting those events go. He would've thought that this was a good turning point for Yugi. Apparently, it wasn't.

Yugi shook his head. "No, it wasn't Jou. I was so stupid..."

Sighing a little, Jou reached over the table, placing a hand on Yugi's shoulder. "Don't say that Yug, you know it's not true. I know you're still trying to get out of the past, but this couldn't have been that bad."

Shrugging Jou's hand off from his shoulder, Yugi shrunk back in his chair. "Look, I wasn't drunk or anything Jou; I-I was sober."

Blinking, Jou sat back. "But that doesn't mean that you were stupid. Maybe you just weren't thinking straight. What exactly happened between you and this guy anyway?"

His companion only looked out the window again, and didn't answer. This was getting a little ridiculous in Jou's mind. What could've Yugi done to make him so stressed like this? It couldn't have been that bad, could it?

"Yug, you asked to talk to me, and I said I would listen," Jou started, trying to reason with the other. "But you've refused to talk, so I have no idea how to help you with whatever it is you're freaking out about. Come on man..."

The smaller of the two stayed silent though, still watching the snowflakes outside drifting in the wind. Without looking at his blonde friend, Yugi started, "We basically got to know each other, and the more we talked, the more I began to...trust him, and like him."

Jou nodded, thanking the heavens above that Yugi wasn't totally ditching out on him when it was his idea in the first place. "I don't see any problem with that. It's been a while since you've been able to trust anyone other than me and your Grandpa..."

Yugi suddenly turned his head sharply towards him, making Jou jump a little at the unexpected action.

"But it was accidental Jounouchi!" he said a little loudly. "It was a mistake to trust him. I didn't know what I was thinking, I was an idiot!"

Jou knew that Yugi wasn't angry at him or anyone, but was just simply upset. If only Yugi would be blunt with him and tell him exactly why it was a mistake.

Some tears started to well up in his large eyes, and Yugi quickly brushed them away. This whole scenario was eating him up, and he didn't have a clue as to how to fix it.

"Did he do anything to you?" Jou interrupted, and Yugi shook his head silently.

"He didn't do anything to me. He was really nice and funny and...I stupidly trusted him when I knew I shouldn't have," he said miserably, sipping at his coffee, trying to figure the problem out.

Scratching his head in slight confusion, Jounouchi sat back against the steel chair, wondering how he would be able to help his distressed friend. Yugi kept putting up barriers from telling him, and Jou couldn't understand why.

Maybe it was a security mechanism for Yugi. Or maybe he just wanted to complain his heart out, not really having a point to it all. He knew he did that sometimes.

"Okay, he didn't hurt you, but you hurt yourself," Jou stated calmly. "Why is this such a big issue? You're never going to see him again."

Sucking his lips, Yugi carefully contemplated Jou's words. "I fooled myself Jou," he started quietly. "I thought that Atemu could make everything better for me. I liked him Jou, _really_ liked him. I fooled myself into thinking that he could fix everything that was bothering me."

"So that's what you mean by trusting him was a mistake?" Jou asked, taking another sip of his beverage.

Yugi nodded stiffly, biting his lower lip softly.

"But if he didn't hurt you, how does any of this make sense? I don't see how any of this was bad Yugi," Jou said. "You're probably thinking about the past too much, and it's blinding you from the present."

Yugi sighed, resting his elbows on the table, and letting his hands drop into his waiting hands. "I just hate the fact that I started to like him Jou," he nearly sobbed out. "I don't want to everything to repeat itself. I don't want to trust him."

Standing up, Jou walked around the small table and sat in the chair next to where his buddy was currently sitting. He let his hand rest on Yugi's right shoulder, rubbing it slightly, hoping to calm the other.

"Come on Yug," Jou tried to sooth, but Yugi wouldn't look at him. Biting his lip in haste, Jou remembered two years ago and how much of a wreck Yugi was back then. At least this wasn't as bad as that. "Let's get out of here, go for a walk?"

Thankfully, Yugi responded this time, wiping his stressed tears away as he gulped down the rest of his drink as did Jou.

They exited the popular coffee shop, and shoved their hands into their pockets as winter's cold breeze swept through, making both students shiver.

Jou didn't have any clue as to where to go wander off to, but he was sure that neither of them wanted to go back to their apartments and do any work. He let Yugi lead the way, and both friends stayed silent for a while.

They made it to a quiet street, and that is where Yugi finally piped up, pulling his arms closer to his body as another cool breeze swirled around them.

"I'm sorry Jou," he apologized. "I should've never asked for you to meet me."

Taken aback at the apology, Jou responded, "How could you say that Yug? I would want to know if something's wrong or not. That's what friends do."

Yugi shook his head, finding it that Jounouchi didn't understand. "No, I mean, I just wasted your studying time. I didn't get to say anything that made sense to you. I'm sorry."

Stopping out of astonishment and some confusion that Yugi would say something like that, Jou shook his head this time, hoping that he wouldn't sound upset or angry. "Look Yugi, you know I would never miss out on a chance to stop doing school work. I got something out of what you said. Yes, it was a little splotched out, but I got the main idea.

"You met a guy at a bar, and from what you've told me, he's nice, understanding, and funny; a guy who anyone would like to spend time with. But you think that you messed up by trusting and even liking him. You're afraid to get to know him any more than what you already know because you think time will repeat itself."

Yugi sighed. He was such an idiot. Jou continued.

"I may not know exactly what made you feel this way, but somehow you have." The blonde looked at him somewhat hopefully, as if he was wishing that he got the message.

He did, but Yugi was still unsure. Though, he wasn't about to share that he shared a bed with Atemu. He even was still upset and confused about that.

Walking closer and placing both of his hands on Yugi's small shoulders, Jou said, "I'm sure that if he made you feel normal and happy, he can't be that bad of a guy."

Shaking his head, but letting Jou keep his grip on him, Yugi bit his lip. "But, what if he's like-"

"You need to get to know him first Yugi," Jou interrupted him. "Not everyone is like _him_. You've got to learn to trust people a little more. I'm sure you want to be able to do that." He watched his friend's face for a moment.

"How about you meet him again, maybe talk things through with him instead of me?" Jou suggested, but this time Yugi shrugged his hands away, backing up.

"No, I don't want to see him again," Yugi said sternly. "Atemu wouldn't understand."

"And how do you know that?"

Yugi found himself without an answer. He raked his brain for one, and once he couldn't find one, he made up an answer. "I just...I just know he wouldn't! I don't even know where he lives..." he muttered.

Silence hovered in the air around them for some time before Jou checked his wristwatch. It was nearly five o'clock, and it was getting dark out fairly fast.

"I don't know what help I was Yug, but if you need any thing, you know my number. I gotta get going, I'll see you tomorrow," the blonde said a little hurried.

"Alright," Yugi murmured, watching his feet as his friend left him, going down the direction they came. Crossing his arms over his chest, he started walking forward to his apartment that was just around the corner.

He knew he accomplished something with Jou, but he decided to deny that he did.

* * *

A/N: Sorry if this chapter was a little confusing. I wanted it to sound a little difficult for Yugi to explain everything though. Anyway, hope you liked the chapter and please comment!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Thanks for the comments!

Warnings: Adult Situations

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!

* * *

Yugi frowned as he pulled on a grey sweatshirt, a chill running up and down his spine. He made his way through the tiny hallway, directing himself to the pipsqueak closet in the back room where he knew some heavy blankets were stored.

Grabbing nearly three blankets at once as another shiver ran through his body, Yugi cursed the weather outside. It was only the beginning of December, and it already had Yugi feeling miserable.

He travelled back to the small living space, wrapping one of the blankets around his shoulders as he dumped the other two on the sofa. Muttering under his breath about the lousy heating in his apartment, Yugi made it into the kitchen where he made himself some hot chocolate.

Turning the lights that were not needed off, Yugi returned to the couch, placing his warm beverage on the end table near the arm of the sofa. He took his seat, and in the process, he wrapped himself into a warm cocoon with the other two blankets, smiling contentedly at the warmth they provided him.

Reaching for his mug, Yugi cautiously sipped at his drink as he watched the weather report that was on the television. Domino was supposed to get two or three inches tonight, temperatures reaching well below zero.

"You've got to be kidding me," Yugi muttered darkly at the meteorologist. Apparently he was going to freeze his butt off tonight. He flicked through the channels, finding nothing of interest.

The moment he had finally found something of slight interest however, the doorbell rang, and Yugi sighed. "You've got to be kidding me, _again_."

Reluctantly, the college student tangled himself out of the blankets, although he kept one around his shoulders. As he approached the door, Yugi faintly wondered who'd be crazy enough to travel in such cold temperatures.

Without looking through the peephole, Yugi quickly opened the door, wanting to get the ordeal over and done with, and not flood his home with cold air.

However, that thought was quickly defeated as that Atemu guy from about a week ago stood on the other side of the door, a small smile and red nose greeting him.

Yugi's lips immediately went dry, and he looked down, inwardly moaning in horror as he realized how Atemu figured out where he lived.

His jacket rested comfortably in the other's palm, and Yugi suddenly decided never to label anything ever again.

Silence apparently hung much too long between the two, and Atemu gave Yugi a frozen smile, holding out the jacket. "You forgot this at my place. Sorry I didn't return it right away, I was a little busy."

Licking his chilled lips, Yugi hesitantly reached out, gently grabbing his jacket back. "Thank you," he murmured.

Oh how he really wanted to spend a night, not thinking about that night that occurred a week ago! He had thought that the cold would keep him occupied, but apparently, fate didn't want that to happen.

What was he supposed to do now? Kick the other out? The thought was dangerously tempting, and Yugi reached for the door, grabbing the doorknob. He didn't want anything to do with this guy anymore. Yugi had finally decided that his choice last week was a stupid and irrational one. What difference would it make if he let Atemu come in?

His grip tightened a little on the doorknob, and Yugi wished he could say something more. What if he could turn all of this around? No, that's what he had thought last time, and it ended in disaster. He couldn't trust Atemu, and he certainly shouldn't trust himself with Atemu.

But his eyes happened to drift over Atemu's shoulder, seeing the snow blowing in the freezing wind, and he noticed the other shiver ever so slightly. Atemu broke the awkward silence again.

"Well, your welcome. I better get going before this weather gets the best of me," the other said with a sheepish smile.

Mixed emotions swelled in Yugi, and as the other turned around to leave, Yugi let his grasp go of the doorknob. "Wait," he said, a little louder than he intended to. "Stay here for a while; at least until the weather becomes a little bit more manageable."

What had he just done?

Yugi had always had a big heart towards anyone, good or bad. And he couldn't just let Atemu walk back home in the snow. The footprints in the snow proved that. He reached out into the freezing temperature, and took the other's wrist in his, pulling Atemu inside where it was somewhat warmer.

Shutting the door behind the other student, Yugi felt his stomach swirl again as he felt those intense eyes on his back. Turning around with a forced smile on his lips, Yugi asked, "Do you want hot chocolate?"

Atemu shrugged, but answered 'yes' anyway. Yugi hurried into the kitchen after he put away his jacket.

Taking out another mug and filling it with hot water before adding the chocolate powdered mix, Yugi inwardly groaned.

What was wrong with him? He had wanted a night where he wouldn't think of what happened between them. It would've been much easier to say 'good-bye' to the other, never seeing him again. But no, he had to be sympathetic towards the other just because of the weather!

As he churned the mix with a spoon, Yugi sighed. Well, despite all of the things he should have done only two minutes ago, Yugi tried to look on the bright side. Now he'd be able to talk to the other about everything, why he ran away. That is, if he had the courage to muster anything about it.

Maybe if he got over this set obstacle, his life would return to the way it was before he ever met Atemu. The thought seemed nice, and Yugi placed the spoon in the sink, washing it thoroughly before putting it away.

But if he did manage to say anything about what they did, what would Atemu have to say about it? For all he knew, Atemu could be thoroughly disappointed with him, and Yugi could guess how the other would act.

In the end, Yugi shut off the kitchen light, deciding to just avoid the subject all together.

Entering the living quarters, Yugi quickly caught sight of Atemu looking at one of the numerous pictures of him and his family on some of the shelves. It wasn't the fact that the other was looking at the pictures, but as Yugi gazed at Atemu's layered body, he was painfully reminded of how much he had come to like the other.

Trying to push his obvious blush down before Atemu even knew he was in the room, Yugi was quite successful, and he walked up to the other saying, "You like them?"

Out of the corner of his eye, Yugi saw the other jump slightly at his unexpected question, but he was able to compose himself in a flash. "Yes," Atemu replied. "I especially like this one of you and your hamster." He took the offered drink from Yugi, gulping the liquid down immediately.

Yugi smiled as he gazed at the photo. It was one where he was about eight. It was his birthday, and Spiffy - the hamster - was his gift. "Me too," he commented quietly, taking a step back from the other.

Despite looking at the photos in front of him, Atemu sensed Yugi backing away a couple inches. Straightening up, he turned and smiled at the other. "Thanks by the way," he said as kindly as he could. "You didn't have to though..."

Yugi nodded, bringing the blanket he was wrapped in closer to his body. "Well, I... wanted to." Atemu could see the obvious nervousness in the other, and he knew that he was fighting an inner battle to whether or not talk about the elephant in the room.

Taking another gulp of the delicious drink in his hand, Atemu watched out of the corner of his eye as Yugi shifted his weight back and forth. He had decided to let Yugi bring the subject up; he certainly didn't want to force something out of the other when it obviously was eating him up like it was. There was no telling what would happen.

"So, I take it you don't like the weather?" Atemu asked lightly, hoping to ease up on the tenseness that filled the apartment.

In response, Yugi nodded, smiling faintly as he shivered. "I hate it all," he said. "It's not really even winter yet and it's already in the single digits!"

Atemu chuckled slightly at the exasperated tone and followed Yugi to the couch, sitting down on the opposite side of where Yugi plopped down. He watched with some amusement as the other brought the other two discarded blankets to his body, making sure that every inch of his body was covered.

As Yugi made himself busy with the blankets, Atemu turned to watch the television program that was on, realizing that it was a documentary on the Seven Wonders of the World. It was now talking about the Great Wall of China, and Atemu half listened to it

"Do you like the weather?" came Yugi's voice softly.

Atemu turned his attention back to Yugi, and he resisted the urge to move closer. The other looked absolutely adorable, cuddled under all of those blankets. And somehow, to Atemu, Yugi looked really attractive.

'The weather, damn it!' Atemu thought as he swept away other thoughts. "Actually, yes. At least when it isn't horrible and stuff. Mainly when it's peaceful in its own kind of way I guess," he answered a little lamely, wondering if any of it made sense. Apparently it did, because Yugi huffed.

"Well, I suppose that's your opinion," Yugi grumbled, a shiver visibly sliding through his slim body despite all of the covers.

Atemu leaned back against the arm of the sofa, watching as the other turned his attention back to the television, which was now showing the Pyramids of Giza.

* * *

Atemu didn't know how, but they had somehow ended up on the subject of whether or not the latest issue of _Sky Dive_ was good or not. It was obviously a magazine that dealt with different types of sports, but neither one of the college students really had an interest in that type of stuff anyway.

"I think it's crazy to do that, I mean, what if the parachute doesn't work?" Yugi asked incredulously, looking at Atemu as if he were a madman.

Atemu shrugged. "That's why they have made a second parachute, just in case," he answered.

"But still!"

Atemu laughed, and Yugi did as well. Yet again, the two of them had started off on a rocky road, but had eventually warmed up to one another, enjoying each other's presence more and more.

But they had yet to speak of what was still lurking in the air around them.

Looking at the clock across the room, Atemu noticed that it was nearing nine-thirty. He had been here a full two hours. The snow must've let up by now. At least just a little even.

But he couldn't just leave. Not without knowing what had happened last week. It was bothering him just as much as it was bothering Yugi, and Atemu knew full well that it was no good to them unless it was talked about.

Sitting up a little and gaining the other's undivided attention, Atemu began to ask, "Yugi, I think we need to-"

He wasn't able to finish his opening sentence as the power was suddenly cut off, all lights and electrical warmth gone in mere seconds.

Blinking a little until his eyes adjusted to the darkness, Yugi stood up, taking all of the blankets around him. He walked over to the window, and silently gasped.

Two to three inches, eh? It was almost a foot outside! Yugi sighed, biting his lip as he quickly realized that it would be best if Atemu stayed the night. Swallowing, Yugi turned around timidly, looking at Atemu's dark figure. He knew what the other was about to say before.

"There's about a foot of snow outside, and it's still coming down pretty hard," Yugi explained. "I guess you're staying here...tonight," he whispered, his stomach clenching at his own words.

Fate seemed to really want him to be miserable tonight, Yugi thought, wondering what would happen next.

* * *

A/N: Sorry for any grammar/spelling errors! Thanks for reading and please comment!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Thanks to everyone who has read and commented!

Warning: Adult Situations

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!

* * *

Yugi quickly blew out the fire on the fast burning match before his fingers were caught in the tiny flames. He stood back, gazing at the now lit candle, wishing that he had more than just four.

Four candles wouldn't bring enough heat to the ever growing cold apartment.

He walked back to the couch, wrapping himself in the two blankets he had left. He had given his third one to Atemu, who was on the other side like before, and the last one in the closet down the hall.

Keeping quiet for now, Yugi pulled his knees to his chest, hoping to gain more warmth from it. He stared out the slowly fogging window as the snow seemingly kept coming down heavier and heavier.

'I'm going to catch a cold!' Yugi inwardly wailed as his nose started to chill a little. Looking across the sofa to see how Atemu was holding out, Yugi blushed when his and Atemu's eyes met.

Why was he staring at him? Yugi was suddenly thankful for the lack of lighting as he knew his blush was dark and would be hard to push down. Yugi bit his lip lightly, trying to get some of the free fluttering emotions in his stomach to settle down as he realized how...how...attractive the other looked.

Although Atemu was cradled in blankets, he still seemed rather defiant and dare Yugi say it...sexy. 'Don't think that way! He would never return such feelings, no matter how comfortable you're both around each other,' he mentally scolded himself, forcing his head to turn to stare at a flickering candle a couple feet away.

Little talk happened between the two students for another hour or so. Neither one seemed to notice the time pass as tiny conversations were picked up and then dropped time to time. Neither one seemed to even notice the growing cold as the conversations started to last a little longer each time.

Atemu unconsciously inched closer and closer towards Yugi as the air around him started to penetrate the blankets around him. He didn't noticed what he was doing, and neither did Yugi.

He laughed at a joke Yugi made, the other saying that it wasn't supposed to be that funny of a joke. Atemu shook his head, telling Yugi that he thought it was simply hilarious.

He was about half a foot away from the other now, and silence suddenly hung between them, the only sounds were the small crackling that occasionally came from the rapidly burning candles.

Atemu looked down for a moment, trying to suppress a shiver that suddenly crept up his sides. Now seemed the best time to ask Yugi what went wrong before between them.

"Yugi, could you-" He paused, looking back up, his crimson eyes locking with unsure amethyst ones. "Could you please tell me what happened that night?" he asked sincerely.

Yugi didn't say anything, and Atemu had begun to think that the other wasn't going to answer him. He started to inch away from the other slowly, but was stopped by a freezing hand clasping onto his shoulder.

"No, please, I'm sorry," Yugi muttered in a hushed voice, sounding rather guilty. "I guess this is the only chance I have to say anything," he continued, speeding up a little, bowing his head.

Swallowing, Yugi felt Atemu come closer to him, and he noticed just barely that he felt a little warmer from the extra body heat. His head felt like it was lightly swimming, but he knew he'd be alright for now.

"When we met in that bar, you made me feel happy, confident, even a little light hearted. Jus by talking to you made my mood go up, and I felt in an instant that I could trust you." Yugi paused, thankfully not feeling his cheeks heat up. "I – my emotions I guess got a little out of hand, and I wanted to do nothing and everything with you, I trusted you that much."

Atemu shifted and Yugi stopped, knowing that the other was going to say something.

"But, there must be something underneath all of that. If I made you feel that way, why were you sad, unconfident and miserable feeling before? Don't mind me saying this, but the second we met, I sensed something was troubling you." Atemu looked at Yugi sideways and then craned his head to look at the other fully. "Open up, it'll help."

Yugi trembled slightly. Not only because of the cold, but from how Atemu was able to easily read him like that. He shifted purposefully so that his side was pressed up against Atemu's. He could care less about that issue now.

Licking his lips, Yugi let his head rest on Atemu's shoulder and he began his tale. "It was freshman year when I started college. I didn't know what I was thinking at the time, but half way through the year, I hooked up with this guy; Ushio.

"He was really nice to me, always defending me from those who picked on me. I think I got drunk one night or something, and he was able to persuade me to come back to his apartment for the night." Yugi stopped for a moment, wondering what the other thought of him at that very second. His tongue seemed to swell up in his mouth as he continued.

"So we had sex. I cared less about it at the time, because he still loved me the next morning and the day after that." His memory jumped to the next part, and tears welled up in Yugi's eyes. "I should've heeded the 'warnings' those other kids told me in class...I was such an idiot!"

Atemu tucked his legs underneath himself and turned awkwardly to see that Yugi had buried his face into the slightly warm blankets. "Yugi...please, continue, it's alright..." he tried to sooth, and Yugi lightened up a little at his voice.

The other wiped his tears away, nodding a little, and feeling like a fool for breaking down so easily. "So about a month passed before I started to see changes in him," Yugi choked out, his tears thankfully vanquished. "He started to call me horrible names and threatening me. Things like worthless and if I didn't come to dinner with him, he'd rip my legs off or something like that.

"It was when I tried to break up with him when he snapped at me. I don't know what had caused him to act in such a way, and it confused and frightened me to no end. He never said anything when I tried to reason with him. All he did was break my cell phone in half and drag me to his car."

Yugi bit his tongue and swallowed, trying to fight off the wave of tears and full blown emotions that were threatening to burst out all at once.

"I was forced to stay in his apartment for nearly a month; but he let me go whenever I had classes, threatening to kill me if I said anything to anyone. Ushio kept calling me names and nearly killed me with his constant sexual desires. I thought that it would never stop. That was, until he killed himself with a letter opener for reasons still unknown to me." Yugi shook his head, feeling his tears leak out again, and suddenly felt the sensation of a hand rubbing soothingly up and down his blanketed back. He leaned into the soft touch.

"About a day after he killed himself, I got out of that apartment and came back here, not saying anything about what happened. I don't know how many classes I missed, but I was in here for days and days, trying to pull myself together; especially when police found Ushio's body."

"Why didn't you tell anyone about this?" Atemu asked his voice full of confusion.

Yugi cried at the question, knowing that he was dumb at the time, but he didn't want to admit it.

"I-I was sc-scared, I didn't-t know who to t-turn to," he replied weakly, his voice shaking with sobs. He sniffed into the blankets around his face, wiping the evidence that he had been crying away. "The only one I've told is my best friend, and I only gave him a slightly edited version."

Atemu nodded, letting his hand that was rubbing soothing circles on Yugi's back wrap around the other entirely, bringing him closer to comfort - and warmth.

Yugi immediately cuddled up next to him, letting his tears run freely now. It all made sense to Atemu. Why Yugi suddenly wanted to so badly trust him, but think that it was all a big mistake in the end.

This guy, Ushio, had severely broken Yugi's trust towards anyone - at least when it came to a relationship that is. And now that it had been two years, Yugi seemed to want to have that ability back, but was still unsure about it.

He lightly pushed Yugi back a bit, immediately tucking his hand under the other's quivering chin, shining, tear-filled tears eyes staring at him. "It's alright Yugi, I understand," he said gently, smiling a little to hopefully make Yugi feel better. "You were hurt, and broken into so many tiny pieces that you didn't know what to do."

The tears that were welled up in his eyes finally spilled over as Atemu talked. He felt so...horrible! Yugi turned away. But Atemu turned him back.

Atemu lightly studied the other for a moment, trying to see what the other was hiding. He found nothing, and spoke again. "You had every right to do what you did back there with me; you were probably reminded of what happened in your past, and thought that it'd repeat itself. It's okay..." He softly brushed a tear away with his thumb, inwardly smiling when Yugi cutely leaned into his touch.

They let silence fill the room again, and Yugi gently wept as Atemu took up the position to hold and comfort him, whispering soothing words to calm the other down little by little.

Minutes that seemed like hours ticked by, and Yugi's tears finally stopped streaming, only pooling up every now and then as he kept thinking of what had just happened. His head felt fuzzy, and his nasal sinuses were blocked up so he was forced to breathe out of his mouth. He nevertheless never backed out of Atemu's welcoming and warming embrace though.

"I'm sorry," he murmured quietly, moving his head out of the dampness of his own tears that were stained onto Atemu's blanket. "I'm sorry for pulling you into my mess..."

He felt Atemu's hot breath on his ear, and Yugi shuddered a little. "No, its fine," the soon to be reporter whispered kindly. "By the way things have been going, you needed this...you've bottled all that up for much too long. Sorry though if I sound like some kind of psychiatrist."

Yugi smiled a little into the damp blankets, snuggling closer to the other. "You've...you've made me feel so much better Atemu...I feel like an idiot." There wasn't a response, so Yugi kept going. "My mind has been on the past for too long I guess, and I was afraid to face what was to come when it came to relationships." He took a breath, letting out a shuddering one.

"I think I was initially afraid of myself when we met, not you. You seemed like a nice guy, but I was holding myself back. I just...the morning I woke up...in your place..." he trailed off, not knowing how to really explain the guilt, frustration and relief he felt slowly bursting out all at once. He leaned back into the other, suddenly wanting nothing more than to get Atemu's trust back.

To his pleasure, Atemu once again enveloped him in his protective arms, warmth spreading between the two rapidly.

Atemu unconsciously ran his fingers through Yugi's multi-colored locks, holding the other close with the other. He let his gaze droop and stare at the flickering candles across the room, and checked his wrist watch.

It was nearing quarter after eleven, and the heavy duty snow outside had stopped, being replaced with small and quiet flurries. "I think that it'd be safe enough to go back home now," he commented quietly, rocking Yugi's body awake slightly.

At the words, Yugi's ears perked and he looked up, knowing that he had put on a rather desperate expression on his face. He didn't want Atemu to leave.

"Atemu?" he asked timidly.

Atemu looked down, his heart burning and turning into hopeless mush at the sight before him. He had certainly fallen for the right guy. "Yes?"

Yugi licked his lips in anticipation, butterflies churning his stomach in all directions. "Please, don't leave. I promise to not run away if you do."

Atemu silently smiled a warm smile, and he clearly saw the effects of it gazing at Yugi's tear-tracked face. He grasped Yugi's chin after struggling one of his hands out of the covers where it was sheltering for warmth.

Yugi was willing to give into him, let him teach him to trust others again. It was apparent that Yugi knew well enough that he understood everything that he had said, and it made the other confident and secure feeling.

Leaning down ever so slightly, Atemu pressed his cold lips to Yugi's own cold ones, but they warmed up quite pleasingly after only a couple seconds. It wasn't a desperate or long kiss, but one that reassured both students to an appreciative point.

Pulling away, Atemu nudged Yugi even closer to him. "You don't have to promise me anything, Yugi," he stated seriously, though a soft smile was on his lips. "I trust you."

Yugi smiled a little at the words, bringing himself impossibly closer to the other despite the fact they were tightly pressed against one another.

He was willing to trust himself now...and anyone that he knew was good. He was willing to at this moment forget his past and look at the future and what excitement it would hold for him. He at this moment was willing to trust Atemu.

"I trust you too."

* * *

A/N: So here's the end. A little changed from what I had written down, but the main idea is still there at least. Thanks again to whoever read and commented on this one. Please review!

Until next time,

SilentxMistress


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